


Welcome Home, Buck

by teamcap4bucky



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 08:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16677928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamcap4bucky/pseuds/teamcap4bucky
Summary: Bucky finally comes home where he belongs, but he has no idea what he is walking in to.





	Welcome Home, Buck

Bucky watches from afar, behind the forest greens, trying to go unnoticed, not realizing that he’s been failing. Call it a sixth sense, Steve can always tell when he’s near. He’s known for weeks that he had been back, just waiting for the right time to approach him. 

“You gonna go say hi, or just stay here and watch from the shadows every day?” Steve finally speaks softly, but with a bit of harshness to it.

“It’s better if I don’t.” Bucky doesn’t even acknowledge his best friend for a moment, just stares at the past in front of him, wondering why he ever left.

“For who? You, or her?” Steve folds his arms across his chest. It didn’t matter how good of friends they were, or how long he had been gone. Steve was never afraid to call Bucky out on his bullshit.

“For everyone.” Bucky almost interrupts him which just makes Steve even more annoyed.

“Really? I don’t remember being asked my opinion about that.”

Bucky watches as your face lights up as a small boy runs your way.

“Mommy!” You squat down in the grass, ready to wrap the small child up in your arms.

“Hello my little love! How is my big strong boy today?” Spinning him around, you gleam at his beautiful smile, and your heart swells at the sound of his giggles. If it wasn’t the most beautiful thing you have ever heard.

He shows you his muscles flexing as hard as he can, holding it for just long enough for you to feel them.

“Whoa...they are even bigger than yesterday. You are so strong, just like daddy!”

Bucky’s eyes drop, his heart breaking into a million pieces, shards of glass ripping through his chest. 

“Looks like she’s moved on anyway. She looks…happy. I won’t ruin her life again.” 

“Moved on? She never moved on...and neither did I. She never gave up on you, not for a second. She still hasn’t. She talks about you all the time, like you never left.”

Bucky finally looks to his friend, a question on his face that he never needed to speak out loud. 

“She said if she stops, it means that you’ve gone for good...and she says she won’t accept that. So she keeps you here, alive, everyday, for the both of us.”

“So she’s not…” No. It’s impossible. She can’t be alone. She’s too good to be alone. 

“No. She’s not. Her heart only ever belonged to you. That never changed.” He watches as she plays with her son. “It never will.” 

“The boy?” Bucky turns to stare at the two of them, running after each other in circles.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Just thinking about him brings joy to his heart.

“She does it… alone?” Of course she does. She’s the strongest women he knows. 

“She’s never alone. Everyone helps when it’s needed and… she has me. We live here now, for him.”

The look of hurt on his face is apparent as he just nods his head in understanding. It’s been two years, he thinks. She’s the most amazing women that he’s ever met. Any one would be lucky, blessed even to have her, and at one point, he did. Steve though? Fuck, that stings. His girl and his best friend, sharing a house, a bed, a child? 

“I'm glad you finally got your family.” It’s hurtful and quick, but laced with jealousy, and sorrow. Steve quickly interjects, recognizing the pain in his eyes.

“It’s not like that Buck, at all. Please, talk to her. You’ll regret it if you don’t. I promise you that.”

Steve walks out from the the lush trees and makes his way to the middle of the yard. 

“Is that my favorite superhero?” He yells out as he runs to the boy. 

“Unco teeb!!!” The boy unlatches from your side, and runs at him. “Up!” He yells, asking to be thrown in the air. 

“High up to the sky!” Steve chuckles out, as he throws the young boy in the air.

Wait...Uncle Steve? Bucky sighs, and relief takes over. The thought of his girl being with his best friend was devastating. 

“Come on, let’s go inside and get you some lunch.” Steve throws him onto his strong shoulders, crossing the yard with him towards their home.

There he goes, walking away with your life. You thank the heavens everyday for the two of them. You stand still, waiting the door to shut before speaking, not even bothering to turn around. 

“Are you planning on staying, or are you just passing through?” 

You stand your ground, never faltering. Never looking. He walks almost silently until he’s equal with you. 

“Not sure yet.” The sound of his voice makes you almost drop to your knees. You try with all your night not to cry, not to hold your breath, not to grab onto him, and never him let go. 

“Hmm.” You say nodding. It’s all you can manage at the moment. 

He watches as Steve plays with the boy on the patio, setting up his lunch for him.

“He’s… um…” 

“Yeah. He’s something else, huh?”

Bucky doesn’t know what to say. He's not Steve’s, which means you let someone else in, a stranger, if only for a second, and it was crushing to know that there was a time when you were being held by someone else. It should have been his arms, his bed, his love surrounding you, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty for letting you down.

“He’s so amazing. A little shy, but so playful. Strong, but gentle. Stubborn as all hell.”

“Well…” He lifts his brows, rolling his eyes to finally look your way. 

“Don’t look at me like that. He gets that from you.” Nodding your head towards the boy, smirking. “Sweet as candy, feisty like the devil. He’s just like you. That boy is all Barnes.” 

Realization hits him like a brick to the chest. He turns your way finally, his eyes searching you for any hint of a lie, finding nothing but love on your face.

You finally look at him, shy, like it’s the first time you had ever met, a small sweet smile touches your lips. 

“He can’t wait to meet you. When you’re ready of course. If you're ever ready, that is. He talks about you all the time with us.”

“How?” 

“Steve and I show him pictures, videos, and stuff. He knows who you are.”

You have a son, and you didn’t know it, and he’s grown up without you, he thinks to himself. Even though he had been gone for almost two years, you could still read him like the back of a book. The panic in his face, the sadness in his eyes, the guilt of knowing he left you here, like this.

“As far as he knows, you’re on a mission to save the world. He thinks you’re the coolest. You’re his favorite superhero already.” You brace yourself, taking a deep breath, afraid that what you say will make him run again. “I want you to meet him, but I won’t let it happen if you aren’t planning on staying. I won’t break his heart. I can’t watch it. I could barely handle it myself.”

“I don’t…” 

“It’s okay. I know you need to fix yourself, or at least find...you. I just wanted you to know...we’ll be right here when you're ready.” 

You begin to walk away towards your family, but are suddenly stopped by the feeling of a strong hand grabbing hold of your arm.

“You didn’t let me finish.” You turn back to face him, his hand pulling you tighter to him, until your are face to face. “I don’t want to leave again. I thought you had moved on. I saw you here, this house, a child...with Steve.” He was almost embarrassed by how wrong that he was. He felt so foolish. 

“You thought I hooked up with your best friend and had his child, then moved out to a house in the woods to start a new life with him?” 

“Maybe?”

“Bucky.” Placing your hands on him, you look into his eyes. You take his hand and place it over your heart. “This will never belong to anyone else but you. The heart wants what it wants, and it’s always been you.”

“I missed you so much.” He leans into your forehead, as you hold tightly onto his hand on your chest. “I wanted to come back sooner, I just couldn’t do it, until I was sure…”

“Are you...sure? Because I can’t let you back in if you’re not ready to be here. We’re maintaining here, we’re happy, we have Steve, and he’s amazing. He’s got a strong male figure to look up to. They love each other so much, but he’s not you. I need you. That little boy…. he needs you.”

“I’ll never walk away again. I swear. I’m here. For good. No more setbacks, no more second guessing. This is where I belong.”

Unshed tears glisten in both of your eyes, as you stare deeply into one another, like it was the first time all over again. You run your hand through the hair near his neck, your thumb brushing against his scruff.

“If you don’t kiss me right now James Buchanan Barnes, I’ll be so mmmmmm...” He stops your complaint, his lips meeting yours, speaking with such deep passion, as if you had never parted ways. The two years, poured into every ounce of love he could give you. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve…” You pull him back in for another kiss, as if you had to make sure it was really him, trying to fit every moment lost into every breath exchanged between the two of you.

“I do.” As he leans in again, for just one more.

Steve looks up and grins, his heart full with the sight of his best friends together again. He looks down to see his nephew staring ahead, trying to figure out what was happening, piecing together bits of the puzzle until it hits him. 

He slowly makes his way around the table to the small patio opening. 

“Mommy?” He says as he makes his way cautiously into the grass. 

You break the kiss to look over to your son. The spitting image of Bucky staring back at the both of you. 

“Daddy!” He runs with all his might, his little legs trying to keep up with his excitement, falling every ten feet or so. “Daddy!” 

Bucky gasps, unable to believe that he truly has a son. A son that knows him, a son who’s not afraid of him or his past, a son filled with so much love for a stranger he’s never met before. His son. His little boy. 

Without hesitation, the little boy grabs onto Bucky's leg, holding as tight as he can. The tears slide down Bucky's cheek, as he’s overwhelmed with emotion, dropping to his knees, and staring at the small version of himself. 

She was right. He was all Barnes. Right down to the eyes, and devious little side grin.

“Bucky. I’d like you to meet James Grant Barnes. Your son. Our son.”

Bucky looks up, his eyes widen, breath catches as he realizes that you truly never gave up on him. He reaches out for your hand, pulling you to the ground, embracing you, with the two of them. He kisses your temple, then hides his face in James neck, a hand holding him in so tight, as if he was terrified to let go, because he might run away. 

“I’ll never leave you two again, ever. I promise. Daddy’s here for good.” 

Steve approaches quietly. Bucky looks up, his eyes saying everything that he couldn’t. He mouths a thank you, and Steve knows what for. 

 

You look up to see Steve smiling back at you. He laughs quietly when you both grab an arm and pull him into your hug. He just squeezes harder, before saying what you all had wanted to say back when Bucky had first arrived.

“Welcome home, Buck.”


End file.
